


Irresponsible stupidity

by dont_hate_me01



Series: Incorrect quotes [5]
Category: SEAL Team (TV)
Genre: Concussed Clay Spenser, Gen, Hurt Clay Spenser
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:47:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25843045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dont_hate_me01/pseuds/dont_hate_me01
Summary: "Clay: *sneaks into his room in the middle of the night after a fight with a black eye and broken nose*Ray: *flicks on light*Brock:Sonny:Trent:Jason:Clay [raising hands]: In my defence, we all know I'm extremely stupid and irresponsible."
Series: Incorrect quotes [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1499171
Comments: 20
Kudos: 151





	Irresponsible stupidity

**Author's Note:**

  * For [britin_sterek](https://archiveofourown.org/users/britin_sterek/gifts).



> **AN 1:** To [britin_sterek](https://archiveofourown.org/users/britin_sterek) who asked for this story almost a year ago, sorry it took so long. I do hope you’ll enjoy reading this one!
> 
> **AN 2:** Thank to [RoboFoxtrot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoboFoxtrot) who has the enormous task in getting this story into shape before I can even think of posting it. Once again I am indebted to you.

His eye throbbed and Clay hissed as he pressed the palm of his hand against it in an effort to make it hurt less, but instead he managed to touch his nose and shards of pain shot through his skull. He whimpered and leaned against the wall; breathing through his mouth in an effort not to vomit all over the clean floor. His whole body ached, and with the way he had to keep his breathing shallow, he had a feeling that more than one rib suffered some damage.

Clay swallowed and gagged as the blood dripped down his throat. He dry heaved and his head thumped in rhythm to his pulse. He wanted nothing more than to get to his apartment, place a bag of frozen peas on his face and then just wallow in self-pity for a few hours. Then he would pull up his big-boy pants and face the world.

He had no idea what he would tell the team if they saw him. He didn’t need a mirror to know how his face looked and he suspected by tomorrow it would be even more colorful. He always bruised easily and in an array of colors. For a moment he wondered if he could call in sick and stay in bed for a day or two. But that wouldn’t work. The moment he called in to say he was sick; Trent would go into medic mode. The man would be at his door even before he ended the call to Jason. Clay frowned and moaned as the simple gesture reminded him of his busted eye and nose.

“This fucking sucks.” Clay groaned. He knew what he’d said, but he had a feeling that with his broken nose what came out of his mouth was not what he meant to say. He shrugged. It didn’t matter, it’s not as if anyone heard him.

He slowly made the final part of his trek to his apartment door and leaned heavily against the door. He’d made it. Now he only had to open the door and get in. Clay struggled with the basic task of getting his keys out of his pocket. The moment he moved away from the door, the whole building tilted to the side. He managed to rest his head against the door and then with his one hand on the wall for extra stability he groped around in his jeans until his hand finally curled around the keys and he pulled them out.

Clay’s hand trembled as he pushed the key into the slot. He turned it and sighed in relief as the door clicked open. He pushed it wider and sneaked into his darkened apartment. As he turned towards the wall switch, the floor lamp behind him clicked on. Clay turned and groaned. It was Ray who flicked on the light.

Brock,

Sonny,

Trent,

Jason. They all glared at him.

Clay lowered his head. He was so screwed. “In my defense, we all know I’m extremely stupid and irresponsible.”

“At least you’ve got that right,” Trent grumbled as he rose to his feet. With his long strides he got to Clay’s side with two steps. He tilted Clay’s head upwards for a better look.

“What’s the damage?” Jason asked as he came to a halt next to Trent.

“Nose is busted. He’ll have a mighty shiner by tomorrow,” Trent reported. He slapped Clay’s hand away as the younger man tried to touch his eye.

“Ouch,” Clay mumbled.

“What the hell happened?” Jason demanded.

“Shh…” Clay swayed to the side. Jason’s voice was far too loud and it vibrated through his skull.

“Wow, there, Clay.” Trent grabbed hold of him and kept him steady. “Let’s get him seated.”

“No.” Clay swatted at Trent’s arm but missed. He didn’t want to sit down. He had no idea what he wanted to do. Maybe he did want to sit down?

“No?” Trent sounded dangerously calm.

“No?” Clay repeated, uncertain even as he shook his head. He groaned as the movement made everything tilt sideways again.

“Wow!” Sonny grabbed hold of Clay as he stumbled backwards. He landed awkwardly against the Texan’s chest and Sonny held him close. “Trent?” he asked, concerned.

“I think he might be concussed.” Trent lifted Clay’s head and peeled back the eyelid. “Pupil is sluggish. Definitely concussed.” He gently dragged his fingers over Clay’s skull and found an egg-shaped bump on the back of his head.

“Hospital?” Jason asked.

“Ambulance?” Brock asked at the same time.

“His bed will do for now.” Trent indicated to Sonny to guide Clay through to the bedroom.

“What about his nose?” Ray touched his own. His eyes watered just thinking about how bad that broken nose must throb.

“I’ll check on it. We’ll ice it so that the swelling comes down. If it’s bad, we’ll have to take him in for a doctor to check it out.” Trent moved in behind Sonny as the Texan finally got Clay turned around and pushed him towards his room. “See what he has in the freezer for his eye and nose.”

“Two bags of peas,” Brock spoke up as he anticipated Trent’s request and already made his way to the kitchen.

“That will do.” Trent took the offered bags of peas and then with little ceremony pushed Sonny and Ray out of Clay’s room. When he turned to Jason his team lead stood with his arms crossed.

“I’m staying.”

“You’re staying.” Trent sighed. At least the rest of the guys accepted the fact that they couldn’t crowd in here as well. “If you’re staying, help me get his clothes off.”

“You think he’s got more than just that shiner and broken nose?”

“Mmm,” Trent hummed as he managed to get Clay to lift his arms and pulled his t-shirt over his head. He hissed as he saw the dark bruises on both sides of Clay’s chest. “There’s your answer.” He gently pressed down to feel the damage.

“Ouch,” Clay whimpered.

“Sorry, Kid.” Jason placed his hand on Clay’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

Trent continued to examine Clay’s chest and then stepped back. “From what I can feel they only appeared to be bruised. He’ll be stiff and sore for a few days.”

“Sick,” Clay mumbled and held his hand over his mouth.

“Fuck,” Jason cursed. His eyes landed on the waste bin next to the door and he quickly grabbed it. He was just in time. When he pushed it under Clay’s chin, the younger man lost the battle of not being ill and vomited violently into the plastic bin.

“Easy, Clay,” Trent soothed Clay as the younger man finally stopped heaving and took a shaky breath. He nodded his head in gratitude as Jason had gone to the bathroom and returned with a wet cloth. With soft strokes he wiped Clay’s face clean.

“You want to lie down?”

Clay nodded and then sighed as his head touched his pillow. His eyes felt heavy and he closed them. He just wanted to sleep.

“No, no sleeping.” Trent shook Clay’s shoulder. “Open up your eyes.”

“Tired,” Clay mumbled.

“I know, but no sleeping. I want you to stay awake for a while, okay?”

“Mmm,” Clay mumbled but closed his eyes again.

“Clay, keep your eyes open,” Trent ordered.

“Mmm.”

“Clay!” Jason used his Bravo One voice. It had the required response as Clay opened his eyes.

“Keep your eyes open. Tell us what happened.”

“What happened?” Clay frowned. “When?”

“How did you end up with a broken nose and black eye?” Jason demanded.

“My nose is broken?” Clay tried to touch his nose, but found his hand grabbed and pulled away. He glared at Trent.

“Trust me, you don’t want to touch that.” Trent patted Clay’s arm.

“It hurts.” Clay turned his head and looked at Jason with puppy eyes.

“What happened?” Jason repeated his question.

“Mmm, I went out.”

“Yeah, that part we’ve got. What happened when you went out?”

“Had a date.”

Jason smiled. “Finally decided to get back on the horse?” Rebecca and Stella were both out of Clay’s life, and it looks like their youngest were back in the dating scene.

“She’s not a horse.” Clay sounded offended.

Trent snorted.

“Sorry. Meant no offence.” Jason sighed. For a moment he pitied any tango who captured Clay and wanted to get information out of the man. Clay would have them running for the hills within an hour. “Was it a first date?” He tried again.

“Yeah.” Clay grinned but it turned into a scowl. “She used me.”

“What?” Both Trent and Jason asked.

Clay nodded his head and groaned. “Ouch.”

“Not a good idea, buddy. Just keep your head still.” Trent placed his hands on either side of Clay’s nose and felt the break. He looked up at Jason. “I’m only going to treat it with ice. The break is minimal and clean.”

“Clay?” He used the kid’s name to get him to focus. “You said she used you, how? What happened?”

Clay swallowed. “Hmm.” He licked his lips.

“Clay, how did you meet?” Jason tried again.

“Swiped right.” Clay demonstrated wildly.

Trent snorted again as Clay’s hand connected with Jason’s head. He held up his hands in mock surrender when his team lead glared at him.

“Dating app?” Jason shook his head. “And then, what then?” He moved a bit further away, not in a mood to get wacked again.

“Met at a local bar for drinks.” Clay squinted.

Trent saw it and reached out and managed to switch off the light by the door, leaving only the table lamp on.

“What happened at the bar?” Jason hoped in his heart that Clay didn’t start a fight. He took out his phone and pulled up Blackburn’s number. If they had to put out a fire it would be better to get Eric on board sooner rather than later.

“She set me up,” Clay responded despondent.

Jason balled his fists in anger and at the same time Trent growled with rage. He’d never in his life hit a woman, but it seemed like this might change pretty soon.

Clay groaned again and placed his hand on his head. “Hurts, T.”

“I know, buddy.” He’d already looked through Clay’s first aid kit but it only contained ibuprofen and aspirin, and he couldn’t chance that as it could increase the possibility of bleeding.

“Nothing to give him?” Jason asked as he moved the frozen peas to cover Clay’s swollen eye.

Trent shook his head. “Nothing here and I didn’t bring my kit with me.”

“Want to give him Tylenol?”

“Yeah, thought of that.”

“Maybe hear if Trish is home and ask her?” Jason referred to Derek’s wife across the hall.

“Good idea.” Trent moved towards the door but stopped short when Clay’s hand curled around his wrist.

“No.”

Jason sighed. “Let me ask Ray to find out.” He fired a quick text off to his best friend and focused on Clay again. “What happened at the bar?”

“I had a beer.”

Trent and Jason locked gazes.

“That’s what we normally do at a bar, Kid. We drink beer.” Jason managed not to roll his eyes.

“Huh.” Clay shrugged. “It was ice cold and frothy.”

“Are you describing a beer, or one of those frothy iced-coffee things you like to drink?” Trent smiled.

Even concussed Clay managed to glare at him.

“What happened after you had the beer?” Jason decided to keep the conversation on track.

“I had another one.” Clay grinned, but then moaned as his head decided to remind him that he took a few hits to it. Nausea rolled over him. “Sick,” he mumbled and heaved.

Trent had managed to turn him on his side just in time and kept Clay steady until he finally leaned back. Clay’s complexion was a pasty white.

Jason snagged the wet cloth from the side table and gently wiped Clay’s face. Jason looked up as Ray entered the room. “Did she have some?”

Ray jiggled the bottle and handed it over to Trent. “How’s the kid doing?”

“Concussed with equal portions of clinginess and stubbornness.” Trent shook out two tablets and held them out to Clay. He uncapped the bottle of water Ray also handed to him. “Open your mouth.” He silently counted to ten when Clay clinched his mouth shut. “Don’t make me push this down your throat, Clay.”

“And that’s my cue to leave,” Ray said as he retreated out of the room.

“Don’t want it.” Clay sulked.

“It will make that construction crew in your head go away.” Jason took the pills from Trent.

“How do you know?” Clay frowned.

Trent raised his eyebrow at Jason. “Yes, Jason. How do you know?”

“I will make you run hills, Trent,” Jason growled. He focused his attention back on Clay. “As Bravo one it’s my job to know stuff like this.”

“Oh, okay.” Clay opened his mouth and held still so that Jason could place the two tablets on his tongue. He drank the water offered without making a fuss. He leaned back and closed his eyes.

“Eyes open.” Trent ordered he wanted Clay awake for another while before he'd let him get some sleep. It was going to be a long night as they would have to wake Clay up every two hours to do a concussion check.

Clay groaned, but he did open his eyes. “You’re bossy.”

“You’re making me bossy.” Trent sighed. “What happened at the bar?” He knew they had to get the story out of Clay.

“What bar?” Clay frowned.

“Give me patience.” Trent dragged his hand over his face. “At the bar where you met your date. The one who set you up?”

“Oh.” Clay lowered his head. “She was really pretty.”

Jason’s heart ached for the younger man. “What happened?”

Clay remained silent.

“Clay?”

“I liked her.”

“I’m sorry, Kid.”

Clay closed his eyes, but before he could be ordered to open them up, he did so on his own. “We chatted for a while and then she became all touchy.” He shrugged. “I didn’t mind.”

Jason’s heart skipped a beat. “Did she accuse you?”

Clay gently shook his head. The raging headache he had was finally calming down. “No, nothing like that.” He huffed.

“What happened?” Trent held his breath.

“As I leaned in to kiss her, I got yanked from my chair by this huge guy. Even before I could find my feet, he punched me in the eye.”

“WHAT?” Jason hissed.

“I blocked the next hit, but he shoved me hard and I fell backwards.” He touched the back of his head. He hissed when his fingers touched the bump.

“That’s the reason for your concussion,” Trent explained.

“He attacked me again as I got to my feet. I think it’s then that he broke my nose.” Clay’s hand moved towards it, but Trent quickly grabbed it.

“Not a good idea.”

Clay sighed. “I fought back, he got in a few body shots, and then the bouncer separated us.”

“And then?”

Clay lowered his eyes. “I managed to get a good shot in so his eyebrow split open and it was bleeding bad. It’s then that Tracy started hitting me.”

“What the fuck?” Trent frowned.

“She accused me of hurting her man,” Clay replied.

“I see where this is going.” Jason wanted nothing more than to find this Tracy and give her a black eye. “Is she the one who suggested the bar you met at?”

“Yeah.”

Jason snorted. “She went on a date with you to make her boyfriend jealous. She knew he was going to be there.”

Clay nodded. “Yeah. She felt that he was ignoring her and decided to do something about it.”

“That fucking bitch,” Trent spat out the words.

“What happened after that. The bouncer ordered me to leave, so I did.” Clay sighed. “As I said, I know, I’m extremely stupid.”

“No, Kid. This is not on you.” Trent wondered if he could find the bitch and tell her just what he thought about her.

“I should’ve known.”

Jason frowned. “Since when are you psychic? You couldn’t have seen this, Clay. Don’t take this guilt on your shoulders. She’s not worth it.”

“Maybe.” Clay yawned. He turned his gaze to Trent. “My head is feeling a bit better. Can I sleep now, please?”

“Okay, get some rest. I’ll wake you in two hours for a concussion check.” Trent squeezed Clay’s shoulder and looked on as their kid brother closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep almost immediately.

He and Jason sat and watched Clay for a while before they both got up and exited the room. They still had to tell the rest of the team what had happened. Trent wondered if they could convince Jason to go and look for this Tracy. None of them would hurt her physically, but she will be made aware of the fact that no one – not even a woman, messed with their kid brother.

Jason was right. Clay didn’t need to carry any guilt on his shoulders. Their youngest might sometimes act irresponsible, make stupid decisions, but this time around, he did nothing wrong. Trent knew it was up to him, and the rest of Bravo team to make sure Clay realized it. He could see some serious drinking in their future, but if it would make their kid smile, he had no problem in getting drunk. And if Jason didn’t give them the right to confront that bitch, then maybe they could find out where she lived and egg her place and her car. Trent grinned. That sounded like a brilliant idea. He wondered what Full Metal was doing later?

**The End**


End file.
